Judge: And what is your profession, in general?
Brodsky: I am a poet and a literary translator.
Judge: Who recognizes you as a poet? Who enrolled you in the ranks of poets?
Brodsky: No one. Who enrolled me in the ranks of humankind?
Judge: Did you study this?
Brodsky: This?
Judge: How to become a poet. You did not even try to finish high school where they prepare, where they teach?
Brodsky: I didn’t think you could get this from school.
Judge: How then?
Brodsky: I think that it ... comes from God

An exchange between a judge and Joseph Brodsky as recorded in a court transcript in 1964. Brodsky was on trial in the Soviet Union for writing what was considered apolitical poetry.

Welcome! I'm Carly, a photographer and creative consultant in Portland, OR. Here you will find stories about photography, life in the Pacific NW, and recipes that celebrate local food and seasonal produce. Read more...